NEW YORK, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- An Empire State of mind will befall Esports industry experts as they gear up to take over NYC for the second annual XLIVE Esports Summit, taking place this August 13th to 14th, 2018. Today, the creators behind XLIVE announce the first round of highly-anticipated speakers and panels for this summer's programming plus esteemed Keynote Presentations.

Having built a reputation as a juggernaut gathering for live event and festival producers, XLIVE continues to set the standard for industry conferences, evident in the caliber of speakers touching down this August. The panel speakers come from globally renowned companies and brands, including Twitter, Intel, DreamHack + many more. Keynotes slated for the week feature AirAsia's Allan Phang currently leading Allstars Engagement & Internal Branding under Group People and Culture. Following AirAsia's presentation will be a Fireside Chat Keynote between Blaise D'Sylva, VP Media, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Brad Sive, CRO, Catalyst Sports. Fireside Chats have grown to become one of XLIVE's more beloved series throughout the course of the conference. "The Esports market represents an enormous opportunity for sponsorship activations and fan engagement for non-endemic brands," said Waco Hoover, Co-founder of XLIVE. "The XLIVE Esports Summit will provide deep insight on what publishers, organizers and brands in Esports are doing today, what's working and the most promising opportunities on the horizon."

Beyond the scheduled Keynotes, this year will dive deep into topics such as developing brand strategies with the goal of driving measurable results, scalable growth, navigating sponsorships and partnerships, in addition to forecasting the biggest trends to come out of Esports in the years to come. Highlight panels include:

Winning Over the Crowd: The Rise of Non-Endemics in Esports—Franchised and regionalized leagues have added longevity and sustainability to the Esports space. With the large inflow of non-endemic brands, Esports enthusiasts will remain scrutinizing the brands that join the Esport space. This panel of experts will dive deeply into creating organic and deliberate brand partnerships that connect the world of Esports, which will result in brand awareness and will have enthusiasts estate for years into the future. This panel of experts will include Esports Director of Momentum Worldwide, Tatiana Tacca, VP of Esports of ReKTGlobal Inc.Kevin Knocke, and Soylent Senior Marketing Manager, Connor Parker.

Media and Streaming Deals—Attendees will get a chance to sit down with broadcast executives to discuss the future of analog and digital spectating. As Esports continue their popularity, digital stratosphere will soon revive that of tradition cable and with more emerging leagues. There is no doubt that there will be many challenges and battles for those airing rights, but who will reign as the new king of streaming and what is going to happen to those traditional broadcast outlets? Find out when you sit with ESPN Host Arda Ocal and Director of Esports Sponsorship Sales from TwitchNathan Lindberg.

Super Panel: Sponsorship Landscape—Whether you're sponsoring a team or a tournament, brand partnerships are eagerly searching for a point of visibility by the most sought after demographics of Millennials and GenZ. With a variety of roads taken to be successful in sports, this super panel will look at all various advantages and opportunities of sponsoring and partnering as well as determining the best possible value for your sponsorship budget. The "Super Panel" will include Co-Founder of Damage Esports,Johnny Ward, Head of Gaming Content Partnerships of Twitter, Rishi Chadha, Global Esports/Gaming Campaign Strategist of Intel, Mark Chang, Co-Founder & CEO of ReKTGlobal Inc. David Baliek, and Chief Strategy Officer of Next Generation Esports,Jason Woo.

Stakeholders, franchises, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders alike will have the opportunity to network while exploring there is no shortage of must-go to panels, workshops, keynote speakers and activations to discuss the development of teams, players, organization infrastructure, collegiate-pro ecosystems and player unions.

In 2017, the global Esports audience exceed 250 million. 69% of the U.S. Esports audience is made up by millenials. This market generates $1.1 billion worldwide is rapidly approaching $1.5 billion. XLIVE puts on the only conference in the world that puts attendees at the absolute forefront of the industry, granting the opportunity to gain insight into how professional sports teams, global brands and professional athletes are playing a significant role in investing and fostering the growth of the Esports community worldwide.

With plans for XLIVE 2018 to return to Las Vegas this December 9th - 12th, multifaceted organization XLIVE will continue to revolutionize the way live event and festival organizations share expertise, learn, and most paramount, envision the future of the industry.

To stay up to date with the latest XLIVE news and events-sign up for the XLIVE newsletter at the bottom of the website's registration page. We'll see you in the Big Apple!

About XLIVE:With plans for XLIVE 2018 to return to Las VegasDecember 9-12, 2018, multifaceted organization XLIVE, an Informa Business Media Company, will continue to revolutionize the way live event and festival organizations share expertise, learn, and most paramount, envision the future of the industry. XLIVE convenes with leading experts at the intersection of music, film, culinary, beverage, Esports, technology and the experiences that culminate at festivals and live events. Reflecting the passion of the vibrant festival community, XLIVE serves as a catalyst for curating unique, memorable and life-changing experiences within the growing, dynamic and influential world of festivals.

About Informa Exhibitions:With over 200 trade and consumer exhibitions annually, Informa Exhibitions is a global market leader in such end markets as Construction & Real Estate, Life Sciences, Health & Nutrition, Boating, Beauty, Agriculture and Pop Culture. Through face to face and digital channels, its transaction-oriented exhibitions enable communities to engage, experience and do business. In doing so, Informa brings together people who want to buy and sell, network, do business and gain inspiration. Industry insight, coupled with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach, provides Informa Exhibitions customers and partners with the opportunity to create business advantage and access markets.

Informa Exhibitions is a division of Informa PLC, a leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. Informa PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.